Tracker and pedal connections for player grand pianos



O. JOHNSON. TRACKER AND PEDAL coNNEcTloNs FOR PLAYER GRAND RIANos.

APPLICATION FiLED `NOVl I8. 19H, RENEWED DEC. 2, 1918,

v U. JOHNSON. TRACKER AND PEDAL CONNECTIONS FOR PLAYER GRAND PIANDS.

l APPLICATION FlLED NOV. 13. 1,914, RENEWED DEC.`2, 1918.

1,307,297.. Patented June 17, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Wvaesses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR JOHNSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTO PNEUMATIC ACTION COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TRACKER AND PEDAL CONNECTIONS FOR PLAYER GRAND PIANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 17, 1919.

Application filed November 18, 1914, Serial No. 872,674. Renewed December 2, 1918. Serial No. 265,049.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, OSCAR JOHNSON, a subject of the Kingv of Sweden, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Tracker and Pedal Connections for Player Grand Pianos, of which the following is a specication. Y

This invention relates to a mechanism whereby a tracker under the keybed of a grand piano that can be moved out and in readily is connected with the pedals so as to fold them automatically when the tracker is moved back under the keybed out of operative position.

The invention also involves improved connections by which this is secured and other details that will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a grand piano showing the parts in playing` position;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged similar View showing the parts folded back, .and

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of part of the same.

The invention is shown as applied to a grand piano having a keybed 10 and a depending framework 11 for the pedals. This framework is provided with an opening for a pedal support 12 which is pivoted at the bottom and is adapted to swing from the open horizontal position to closed vertical position. Each pedal 13 is connected by a link 14 with a pedal lever 15 which is pivoted to swing on a horizontal shaft 16 carried by the framework 11. This shaft is adapted to be turned in its bearings and is provided with two arms 17 and 18 respectively both fixed to the shaft. The second arm 18 is connected by a link 19 with the pedal support 12 for operating it. The other arm 17 is connected by a link 20 with an arm 21 on a shaft 41 and is normally held down by a spring 22. Two other arms 42 on this shaft are connected by links 23 with va slide 24 which supports the tracker bar 25. This slide moves horizontally under the keybed in guides 26.

I Under the tracker bar are located bearings 27 on the slide for a lower` music roll 28. This music roll is mounted therefore to move with the tracker bar and not independently thereof. Mounted to swing .about these bearings as a center are a pair of arms 29 which carry bearings 30 for the upper music roll 31. This constitutes a frame for the upper music roll adapted to swing about the axis of the lower music roll. The two extreme positions of this frame are shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 showing the pla-ying position and Fig. 3 the folded position. InA the former case the frame is held in place by springs 32 engaging pins 33 on the arms 29, and in the latter case it is held in position by springs 34 holding the bearings of the roll. Suitable guard plates 36 and 37 are shown for the music roll.

In the operation of the device it will be understood that with the parts in the open position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the music rolls can be operated in the usual way by means of gears 38 and a sprocket chain 39, the operating mechanism not being shown herein as that constitutes no part of the invention. The pedals are operated in the usual way and are' connected with the bellows (not shownl through the levers 15.

`When it is desired to fold the parts into position, the upper music roll 31 is simply swung around by hand into the position shown in Fig. 3 and then the tracker bar is moved back. This swings the shaft 41 around to the right and the arm 21 downwardly, lowers the link 20, turns the shaft 16 in the direction to cause the arm 18 to move backwardly in the framework. This swings the pedal support upwardly into the position shown in Fig. 3. The reverse movement of the tracker bar obviously swings the pedals out against the resistance of the spring 22. In this way it will be seen that the movement of the pedals by the tracker slide into operative position is assisted by the action of gravity and the movement thereof out of operative position into folding position is assisted by the spring. In this way the pedals are operated very easily without touching them.

Although I have illustrated and described only a single embodiment ofthe invention, I am aware that many modifications can be made therein by any personlskilled in the art wthout departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the' claims. There fore Ido not wish to be limited to all Vthe bed, of a tracker bar support movable under v the key-bed, a bell crank connected with said support to be operated thereby, a shaft, an arm fixed to said shaft and connected with the bell crank, -a spring connected withthe bell-crankat one end and arranged to pull down on it so as to pull said arm down di` rectly7A -a second arm xed to said shaft, a pivotedv pedal support, and means connected with the second ,arm for swinging the pedal support fromhorizontalto vertical position wheny they tracker support is moved back un` der thekey-bed. Y I

2. In a piano, the'combination with a -key` bec-Lof a tracker slide movable horizontally under the kcybed, a bell crank connected with xsaid slide to be operated thereby, a horizontal shaft, pedal levers pivoted on said shaft, .an arm fixed .to said* shaft and lconnected with said bell-crank, a second arm fixed to said shaft, a pivoted pedal support, and means connected with the second arm for swinging said lsupport up from a horizontal to a vertical position when the tracker Slide is moved back-under the keybed.

3. In a piano, thezcombination with a keybed, of a tracker slide horizontally movable under it, ahorizontal shaft below the keywith said tracker slide for turning said shaft to said position when the tracker slide is retracted.

4. In a piano, the combination with a keybed, of a movable tracker bar support, a

shaft,A pedal leverspvoted to swing on said shaft, .a pair of pedals connected with said' levers, a pedal support pivoted to swing from a horizontal tov a vertical position, means connected to said pedal support and to said shaft for moving the pedal support up into vertical position when the shaft is turned to a certain position, and means connected with the tracker bar support for turning the shaft toV said position when the tracker bar support is retracted.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses. v

OSCAR JOHNSON. l/Vtnesses:

WM. J. KEELEY, WVM. J. BARTON..

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents', Washington, D. C. 

